The invention relates to apparatus and methods used to rapidly remove structural parts of a building with minimum disturbance of the area surrounding the building or the inhabited living areas of the building.
There is a need in the art for structurally modifying inhabited building structures without substantial inconvenience and disruption to the normal activity of the residents of the building.
When buildings are renovated or repairs are made to windows and/or window frames, much dirt, dust and other contamination is produced. This is a major inconvenience and, if lead-based paint is present, can become a hazard which requires special handling.
Prior art U.S. patents show the state of the art.
Almstead et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,232 disclose a window cap for sealing a window to conserve energy. The device is pan-like with edges which can be attached to the building structure to keep cold air from entering the building through the windows.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,091 to Ganse et al discloses an insulation system for windows with the insulation panels placed in brackets on the inside walls.
A containment device for contaminated building demolition is taught by Heffner in U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,152. The Heffner containment device is designed to surround an entire building. The device is made of a rigid steel frame, covered with a flexible fabric or plastic sheet material, and moves on railroad tracks from place to place.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,457,922 and 5,685,112, Fara (the present inventor) teaches a containment box which is mounted interiorly in a building to fit against the polluted structure and prevent contamination of the interior of the building when the polluted structure is removed from outside of the building.
The only prior art which discloses a containment system which surround a work area attached to a floor and ceiling of a room and has a seal are the Fara patents. However, the containment box is large and requires time to properly mount and seal.
The invention herein disclosed addresses the problem of dust, dirt, pollution and inconvenience to residents of homes and offices being remodeled.
The containment box of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,457,922 and 5,685,112 facilitates making the structural modifications to buildings and is particularly useful in expediting the removal of windows and window frames of existing buildings in an environmentally safe manner. The building living area can remain occupied while modifications are being made.
The containment box has a periphery seal to provide an airtight seal. A jackscrew at the top of the box and a floor pad are used to position the containment box with respect to the polluted structure to be removed. The patented Fara containment box, while a substantial improvement in the art, is relatively large and heavy and requires some time to properly install and move from one location to another.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively lightweight apparatus which is easily mounted on the interior of a building to form a seal around a structure so that the structure may be removed from the outside of the building with minimum inconvenience to the inside of the building.
In accordance with teachings of the present invention, there is disclosed in a building including an interior having an upper surface and a lower surface, vertically spaced apart, and further having a structure in a wall disposed vertically between the upper surface and the lower surface, an apparatus for removing the structure from externally of the building. The apparatus has a single unitary planar rigid member adapted to fit against a vertical surface within the interior of the building and to surround the structure in a substantially airtight relationship, thereby precluding dust and debris from entering the interior of the building as the structure is removed from externally of the building. The planar rigid member has a top end and a bottom end. The bottom end is supported on a bottom portion of the structure. An adjustable supporting member is connected to the rigid member and extends angularly to the upper surface above the top end of the planar rigid member. A first sealing gasket is disposed peripherally around the rigid member and surrounds the structure, forming the airtight relationship with the vertical surface. A second sealing gasket is disposed on the bottom end of the rigid member forming the airtight relationship with the bottom portion of the structure.
In further accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is disclosed in a building including an interior having a floor and a ceiling, and further having a structure in a wall disposed vertically between the floor and ceiling, an apparatus for removing the structure from externally of the building. The apparatus has a single unitary planar rigid member adapted to fit against a vertical surface within the interior of the building and to surround the structure in a substantially airtight relationship, thereby precluding dust and debris from entering the interior of the building as the structure is removed from externally of the building. An adjustable clamp means is attached to a bottom end of the rigid member to prevent lateral movement of the bottom end of the rigid member and to secure the bottom end of the rigid member to the structure in the substantially airtight relationship. An adjustable supporting member is connected to the rigid member and extends angularly to a surface above a top end of the rigid member.
There is further disclosed a containment apparatus for the removal of a window and/or window frame within the wall of a building. A substantially-flat sheet is formed from a relatively high-impact plastic material. A peripheral gasket is provided for sealing engagement with a vertical surface of the building from the inside thereof, such that the sheet covers the window or window frame. A means is provided for removably retaining the sheet rigidly against the vertical surface of the building while the window or window frame is being removed externally of the building, thereby preventing dust or debris from entering into the building during removal of the window or window frame.
Additionally, there is disclosed a containment apparatus for the removal of a window and/or window frame within the wall of a building. A member is disposed against a vertical surface from the inside of the building in sealing engagement therewith and covering the window and/or window frame. A jack is carried by the member for rigidly retaining the member against vertical surface within the building, such that the window and/or window frame may be removed from the outside of the building without dust or debris entering into the interior of the building. The jack is angled with respect to the member, such that the jack exerts a force having a vertical component for retaining the jack within the building and further having a horizontal component for pressing the member against the vertical surface within the building.
Furthermore, there is disclosed, in a building having a room having a ceiling and a window mounted in an opening between an exterior wall and an interior wall of the building wherein the window is blown out due to weather or is otherwise damaged, a temporary containment apparatus to enclose the opening. A substantially flat rigid member has a peripheral gasket for sealing engagement with the interior wall of the building wherein the rigid member completely covers the opening in the interior wall. The rigid member has a top end and a bottom end. An adjustable clamping means is connected to the bottom end of the rigid member. The clamping means is disposed in the opening between the exterior wall and the interior wall of the building to secure the rigid member.
In another aspect, there is disclosed the method of removing a structure from a wall in a building. A planar rigid member is provided having a gasketing means formed peripherally thereabout. The planar rigid member is removably installed within the building against a vertical surface. A bottom end of the planar rigid member is supported on a bottom portion of the structure being removed. The gasketing means on the planar rigid member contacts the vertical surface surrounding said structure in a substantially airtight manner, thereby confining any dust and debris and preventing the dust and debris from entering the building. The structure is removed while working from outside of the building, and the planar rigid member is removed for subsequent reuse thereof.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the enclosed drawings.